Ancient South Asian word for 'cereal'

[kalyans at ix.netcom.com]

Franklin C. Southworth, 1973, Cereals in South Asian 
Prehistory: The Linguistic Evidence, in: Kenneth A.R. 
Kennedy and Gregory L. Possehl, eds., Ecological 
Backgrounds of South Asian Prehistory, Cornell 
University analyzes the presence of rice in the 
Harappan seaport of Lothal (Gujarat) and the South 
Asian linguistic evidence for words denoting cereals, 
cultivation, etc. His fascinating conclusion is that a 
hypothesis may be postulated re: a South Asian 
linguistic area including the extended area of the 
Harappan sites. This area included speakers of 
Indo-Aryan, Dravidian and Munda languages...

One word mentioned, in passing, in this study, may be 
analyzed further:

kaNak (Punjabi) = wheat.

-kug (Munda) = rice

kanku (Sanskrit) = a panic seed, millet (setaria 
italica)

kaNa (Kannada, Hindi, Sanskrit) a small particle or 
grain of anything, a grain of corn; kaNaja (Kannada) a 
granary, a store for grain; kaNgA (Marathi) a corn 
bin, a large basket, a safe for grain, a granary.
 kangnI (Hindi), kangoNi (Kannada) a kind of grain 
much eaten by the poorer classes in many paarts of 
India, millet (Panicum italicum); kangi (Hindi) a 
granary, a store of grain. kanji (Hindi) rice-water in 
general, although it properly denotes rice-water which 
has been converted into an acid beverage by acetous 
fermentation. kankI, kanakI (Hindi), kaNikI (Sanskrit) 
ground rice; kanki (Telugu) head or ear of corn. 

kaNa (Kannada) a threshing or treading-floor, where 
the grain is trodden out; kANAchi (Kannada) a 
hereditary estate; kANi-ATci (Tamil) that which is 
held in free and hereditary property; kaNakku (Tamil, 
Malayalam) accounts; kaNe (Kannada) a roller or 
cylinder of a mill, whether horizontal or 
perpendicular. khAngi-zamindArI (Hindi) the household 
expenses of a zamindar. kANi bhAgoa (Oriya) laborers 
in Cuttack paid in both money and kind. kA
Ni (Kannada) a piece of inferior land not included in 
that which is rented.

If a word for ‘cereal’ has to be found in the 
Indus-Sarasvati inscriptions, one phoneme to be 
included in the search is perhaps: kaNk.

Regards. Kalyanaraman.